


Status Update

by 5BlackRoses



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pepperony Week, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 13:24:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11487291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5BlackRoses/pseuds/5BlackRoses
Summary: Tony might have told everyone else that he and Pepper were "taking a break," but he forgot to tell her.Written for Pepperony Week 2017 Day 5 (post-civil war)





	Status Update

"I have to hear from gossiping interns that we broke up?"

"Hey Pep. It's nice to see you too," Tony turned away from the designs for Rhodey's braces.

"I walk out of a meeting about the zoning for the tower in Bangkok and everyone around me is whispering about how we're 'taking a break.' What does that even mean?" Pepper came closer but remained standing, her hands on her hips.

Tony sighed, standing. "It means that I need people to stop coming after you in order to get at me," he said, "regardless of whose side they claim to be on."

"So are we still together then," she asked teasingly, relaxing visibly, "or did you just dump me for the sake of protecting me?"

"I'm yours for as long as you'll have me," the inventor assured her, kissing her cheek.

Pepper smiled. "Well, I don't plan on letting you go any time soon, so you're just gonna have to put up with me for a while longer."

Tony smiled but he didn't reply. Everything else might be going to hell, but as long as he had Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and the science-lings on his side, he could muster the courage to face the world.

"What happened?" Pepper asked gently, glancing at his black eye and sling.

"Rogers and I had a disagreement," Tony began, sitting down slowly, "that bastard killed my parents and he knew but didn't tell me."

The CEO sat beside him, running a hand down his uninjured arm. "I don't understand," she said, "who knew about what?"

"The Winter Soldier killed my parents; crashed their car and then murdered them. James-fucking-Barnes. Rogers knew, Tony began to cry, "more than a year ago he watched the security footage of his best friend strangling my mother and he didn't have the decency to tell me..."

Pepper drew the inventor into her arms, stroking his hair gently. She had no idea what to say. Frankly, she'd never liked Steve Rogers very much and neither she nor Tony trusted him in the beginning, by hearing 'I told you so,' was exactly what the man in her arms did not need at the moment.

"Oh Tony," Pepper pulled him closer, "I'm so sorry."

He sniffled softly and snuggled into her as he continued to cry. "He knew and he didn't tell me..." the inventor mumbled again, "he knew..."

For a long time the couple didn't talk, Pepper holding Tony as he shook in her arms. Eventually he sat up, blinking and casually wiping his face. "I should get back to work," he said, turning away, "Rhodey's spinal column won't fix itself."

Pepper stood, squeezing Tony's shoulder with one hand. "I know better than to think you'll believe me, but I'll say it anyway: this wasn't your fault and Jim doesn't blame you."

"He should," the inventor mumbled, turning his head to kiss her hand gently, "don't you have a company to run? Usually you'd be working through this entire conversation."

"Some things are more important," she said softly, "but if you want me to leave..."

"Never," Tony smiled, pulling Pepper into his lap.

They sat there for a while just enjoying each other's company, before FRIDAY interrupted. "Dr. Helen Cho is calling again. She doesn't seem to be taking no for an answer," the AI informed them.

"She's been asking after you. Constantly. I think I might have some new competition," Pepper teased, "do I need to worry about you running off with the good doctor?"

"Please," Tony scoffed, "that woman hates me."

"Well, she's sure got a strange way of showing it. She hasn't left me alone since you stopped answering her calls after... after Vision was born."

Tony's smile dissolved as he remembered Ultron, probably his most colossal fuckup since Killian and the Mandarin debacle. "I already had enough people yelling at me. I didn't need someone whose mind I actually respect going to town on my failures. I was low enough."

Pepper chose to temporarily ignore the content of what Tony had said and try to lighten the mood. She knew they would have to talk about it later, but she'd already brought him to tears once in the last hour and didn't want to do it again. "So she's got a mind that you actually respect? Now I definitely need to worry about you two running of together."

Tony hugged Pepper more tightly against his chest. "Never mind that she's got no interest in me, what makes you think I would be interested in Helen like that?"

"Well she's beautiful," Pepper began, "smart, creative, confident..."

"Do I need to worry about you running off with her?" Tony teased.

The CEO laughed before her expression turned serious, though it remained gentle. "She's worried about you, Tony. So am I. So are Jim and Happy. I've even been getting calls from Harley, though I have no idea how he got my personal number. My point is, you've at least verbally interacted with all of us, Happy, Peter and I get to see you in person regularly, but Helen hasn't heard from you in over a year. Just let her see you, hear you, and maybe check your pulse to make sure you haven't replaced yourself with a very realistic robot."

"If I were going to replace myself with a robot, I'd make sure he could simulate a heartbeat as needed. Give me some credit," the inventor protested.

Pepper stood. "I need to go back to work," she told him, "go take Helen to lunch and I'll make sure to be home before you start the video-chat with Harley. I think she likes Greek."

 

**Author's Note:**

> For now this is a one-shot, but I may continue it if the inspiration strikes.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


End file.
